Flavoring for animals can be tricky, and successful administration can depend on the taste of the medication.

Many pharmacists have found that oral dosage forms with tuna or sardine work well for cats, while many dogs prefer beef, liver, and chicken flavors. Sweet, fruity flavors often work best for birds, and vegetable bases or berry are best for rabbits.

One of the challenges of veterinary compounding is finding a dosage form appropriate for each individual animal. Cats can pose a particular challenge for administration of medicines, as most cat owners will agree because they do not like to swallow capsules. Sometimes oral dosage forms aren’t an acceptable option. Some medications for cats can be incorporated into transdermal gels that are applied to the inside flap of the ear, minimizing the stress for both owner and pet.

Examples of commonly compounded preparations include:

• Sterile injections
• Creams, ointments and lotions
• Flavored capsules to be sprinkled on food
• Ophthalmic preparations (medications for the eye)
• Commercially unavailable medications
• Sugar free formulations
• Transdermal gels (medication in a lotion or gel that can travel through the skin)
• Chewable flavored treats and suspensions
• Ear solutions and suspensions
• Rectal suppositories and gels (great systemic delivery option)
• Medication combinations (multiple medications in ONE delivery form)

Reported (anecdotal) uses:

• Various cancers
  • Lymphomas
  • Adenomas
  • Nasal/Sinus
• Chronic arthritic pain
• Some Autoimmune disorders
  • IBS
  • Degenerative myelopathy

Published Uses – Behavior disorders – Adjunct

Plumb’s Veterinary Drugs

• Acral Lick Dermatitis
  • White SD. Treatment of acral lick dermatitis with the endorphin-blocker naltrexone. Proc Ann Meet Am Acad Vet Dermatol Am Coll Vet Dermatol 1988.

Naltrexone Doses

• Naltrexone HCl 1% Topical Gel
• Naltrexone HCl 1mg/mL Oil Oral Suspension
• Naltrexone HCl 0.5mg Capsule